The One You Can't Forget (The One, #1)

bonus chapter #1

Hainsey

Ottawa, Ontario.

I never thought I'd see this place, let alone be living in an apartment with my girlfriend and attending the school I've been pining over since I was a kid.

Though Ems had a room reserved for her in the dorms, her original plans changed when she managed to get me on the team and riding on a full-scholarship in landscaping and architecture. I owe my girl everything for doing that; because of everything she did for me, I'm here with her and my mom is in Alberta getting the treatment she needs.

It's been a month since we had the intervention for her back home in Whistler. I honestly thought I was going to be continuously worrying over how my mom is doing, but she's rarely my main thought. It sounds selfish, but I've been so busy with work, school, and hockey that I don't have time to think about her. Ems says it's for the best, and I know she's right about that. Mom's safe and being taken care of – I couldn't ask for more.

The apartment Ems and I now rent is ten minutes away from campus, residing by an exquisite park and some great cafés. Speaking of our apartment...it's a helluva lot smaller than my house back in Whistler, but I like it. The floors are a dark oak, save for the bathrooms and kitchen, which are slate; the walls are a light grey; the kitchen is a mix of old-fashioned and contemporary; and the one bedroom has a queen-sized bed and matches the rest of the area's style. My favourite part, however, is the large window I'm currently standing in front of in our small living room. Though the view is different and the area is much more city-like, it still reminds me of home in some ways. Like the trees that are now brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange, or the mountains in the distance – they make the area feel familiar yet different.

After taking a sip of my coffee, I exhale deeply, vaguely aware of the smile on my face.

"Somebody's reminiscing."

I turn around and see Ems walking toward me. Today her hair is up in a messy bun and she's wearing a black sweater with rips in it and a pair of tight skinny jeans. There's a cup of coffee – excuse me, a latté in her hands. I'll never be able to understand the difference between all these weird coffee drinks she makes. To me, coffee is just coffee.

I shrug at her, smiling sheepishly. "What can I say? The effect of shock still hasn't left me."

Planting herself beside me, Ems leans her head against my shoulder and happily sighs. "Can't blame you on that one, Hains. This seems surreal after everything that's happened to us."

Us.

That's one of the many things I love about Ems – she never draws a line between us and the shit we've faced. She never singles out one situation against the other. It's always us.

Setting down my coffee on the windowsill, I take her latté and set it down, and then gather her into my arms and hug her tightly. Ems has done more than I ever imagined possible for me, and I know there's no way in hell I could ever repay her. I can't believe there was a time I didn't want her, that I did everything in my power to push her away. Though there are some things, such as the drug incident, that I want to forget, I am happy we had that discussion in the cabin and sorted ourselves out.

"I love it when you hug me like this," she giggles.

I hug her tighter. "I love you."

Her fingers being to run through my hair and I feel her lips press against the skin of my neck. "I love you, too, Hains."

She continues to kiss me, and I can't stop myself from tilting my head back to give her more area. Yeah, girls love it when guys kiss their neck – everyone knows that. But why do they never talk about how much we like it when girls do it to us? Fuck, it's the best thing ever.